Chemical reagent for use in the manufacture of alloys



NITED STATES SHERWOOD E.

Pinon.

PATENT CHEMICAL REAGENT FOR USE IN THE MANUFACIURE 0F ALLOYS. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,453, dated November 1, 1892. Application filed May 19, 1892. Serial No. 433,622. (No specimens.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERWOOD E. CHEESE- Mas', a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri, have discovered acertain new and useful Chemical Reagent for-Use in the Manufacture of Alloys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The reagent consists of an alkaline liquid holding an arseniie in solution or an insoluble arsenite in suspension. Taking zinc arsenite as an example, it is prepared as fol lows; Dissolve one-half (5) ounce of caustic potash and one-fourth (i) ounce of arsenious acid in a small quantity of water by gentle heat and add the solution to twelve (12) ounces of a saturated solution of zinc sulphate and .warm'the mixture over the flame of a Bunsen burner. Zinc arseuite and potassium sulphite are formed together with some zinc hydrate, (the zinc being inexcess of the arscnious acid,) while there still remains sulfic-ientcaustic potash to maintain a decidedly-alkaline reaction. In making an alloyI weigh onchalt (:5) ounce of one of the metals (say copper or its salts) and wash it with onefourth ounce of concentrated sulphuric acid and then with a mixture of one dram of sulphuric acid and eight (8) drams of water. Transfer he metal to an earthenware vessel and add one-half (g) ounce of mercury and warm over the flame of a Bunsen burner. When this is complete, the amalgam, which now weighs about one and a half(l%) ounces, is placed in a. mortar and ground and thou liltered through a chamois-skin in the usual manner to free it from excess of mercury. Ten grains of the rcnn-tining metal (say silver) finely divided are placed in a vessel and ninety grains of the amalgam, prepared as above, are added thereto and mixed with a few drops of the al kalineliquid lioldingzinc arsenite in sus pension. Amalgamation immediately takes place, after which the mercury isremovcd in the usual manner.

' metals is more fully The peculiar action of the arsenites in alkaline liquids may be illustrated as follows: If the mixture be prepared by using one hundred (100) grains of zincsulphate, sixty-six (66) grains of potassium hydrate, and twenty (20) grains of arseuious acid, and copper be treated with the liquid, as previously described, the malleability and ductilityof the metal are 111- creased; while a luster is imparted which requires a-longer time to become tarnished than in copper not so treated.

Again, it these salts are mixed in the proportion of one hundred (100) grains of zinc sulphate, thirty-three-(33) grainsof potassium hydrate, and sixty-six (66) grains of arsenious acid the copper is rendered harder and requires a higher degreeof heat for fusion. Iron is rendered harderand of a finer texture when treated by the reagent. A soluble arsenite may be made with thirtythree (33) grains of sulphate of soda, sixtysix (66) grains otarsenic, and thirty-three (33) grains of hydrate of potas h. Another method is to omit the sulphate of soda.

My reagentt'acilitates the union of metallic bodies to form amalgams and alloys and-so modifies the physical properties of the component metals as to make said reagent'a valuable agent in the metallurgy of alloys.

In Letters Patent of the United States for an improvement in alloys, granted to me under date of January 5, 1892, No. $66,455, the method of making alloys with the various described.

Having fully described my invention, What I now claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A new composition of matter for the purpose set forth, consisting of an alkalineliquid and an arsenite.

H. P. WHITMAN, J NO. M. NUGKOLS. 

